I bought this a few years back. Never got into the V-Producer very much but started using the VariOs-8 very very cool sounding if you create your own patches. I picked up a VC-1 D-50 card for it right after I got it with the intentions of gettin the VC-2 Vocal Designer. Last year I went on the hunt for a VC-2 card with no luck of gettin one new because Roland had discontinued both cards! Pure shame and slap in the face to those whom have these units and the V-Synth. Finally in 2008 someone had a VariOs on ebay with a VC-2 card I bid on it and paid $600.00 for the rack with the card. I have since parted with the second VariOs but kept the card. The VC-2 card is amazing some incrediable vocoder sounds and voice sounds etc. It is a must have with this unit and for techno/trance. Expect to pay $300.00 to $600 for a used VC-2 card because there are just to few to go around. Roland has alway been known to come out with something ahead of its time but it is not until 10 to 15 years later it catches on and people are like this is really cool. This unit gets a 5 out of 5 for me. It is rare to find a unit that has so many different fuctions that you can do with it. It is just a sure shame Roland did not come up with other modules hint hint a TR-808 emulator, or a TR-909 emulator for this thing. That would have been really cool. The TB-303 emulator is OK for low end but the real 303 squleching is just not there in my opinion and the attack is weak. Having two original 303s nothing can compre to them at all. But I must say this is a very unique piece of kit. I love the candy apple red color in my studio rack setup. The VariOS is a must have for those who want a versatile unit that can do more then just one function.

Rating: 5 out of 5
posted Saturday-Oct-03-2009 at 23:41

marc s davidson
a professional user
from uk
writes:

The varios is one of the best modules roland has produced in recent years. It is a chameleon type of synth/sound processor that can be used in so many different ways. If you want to mangle audio and warp loops then the varios is superb. The extra cards are amazing .. from the full implementation of the D-50 ( sysex imports of the original ) to the history of roland vocoders.. My only wish would be for the company to produce some more. I think roland saw the future with this machine but unfortunately the initial price point was prohibitive to many. Nowadays you can pick them up for sweeties on ebay . I would recommend this module without reservation.

Rating: 5 out of 5
posted Wednesday-Jan-24-2007 at 10:12

-r
a professional user
from Los Angeles
writes:

I got this demon a few nights ago. At first I loved it. Then there was about an hour the second night that I hated it and even thought it was a joke, but then after the dust had cleared, I realized what I had just come into contact with. Roland's finest piece of gear. This little red 1 space pretty much sums up what roland is and if you like slurpy acid as well as cutting edge technology, get this. It's cheap and really not a bad deal figuring that all the other companies will be using variphrase varients in a few years (which would be about 7 years after roland came out with it). And the technology isn't mind blowing either, it just has very good application value.

One final remark. If you get this box, beware of the presets. They sound like the presets on the original but kind of vst-ish. Edit the jupiter and in about 10 minutes your will be feeling that acid splash across your face... maybe even better than the real thing?

Rating: 5 out of 5
posted Thursday-Sep-15-2005 at 13:49

steve
a professional user
from uk
writes:

One word sums this unit up....Awesome. Imagine being able to change the pitch and re-aarange samples all inreal time as the track plays:Sample in a vocal and re-aarange it and change the key its in without any of the usual negative audio artifacts such as munchkinisation.

This is a fucking work of art 5 out of 5 I cannot understand why these things did not catch on,I bought mine for a grand as soon as it cam out and never regretted it,I heard what it could do i the shop and just pulled a grand out i had to have it...

it is genius.

Rating: 5 out of 5
posted Thursday-Mar-10-2005 at 04:08

Pauly V
a part-time user
from UK
writes:

Well, this is an interesting unit.

First and foremost bargains can be found - I picked one up ex-demo from Mannys in NY for just $390 - that's £200 here in the UK, and delivery was cheap as it is just a 1u rack!

All plugged in the unit is far more than I had expected. The virtual synths are good, however not light years ahead of many of the other great softsynths out there.

Variphrase technology is very smart indeed - just like having a rackmount Variphrase sampler. Loops can be tempo changed instantly as can vocal pitch etc - sounds good, although it is such a new technology to me that I am not yet quite sure as to how to best use it - still if that is my only problem I need not complain!

I was not aware that the V-synth VC series cards also work on this machine so I am currently waiting for delivery of the VC-1 which will give me a version of my old D-50, and I am very keen to ehar what the Vocal Producer card VC-2 can bring above and beyond what the machine already does. Good to see Roland not just beinging classic synths out for this thing, which they could easily have done.

Indeed, the ability to run one application at a time is not great, however it does have the ability to play live without the PC which is advantageous for gigs.